Ellen Jackson

At least fifteen of my books are fiction. My best known book is CINDER EDNA, a story about Cinderella's spunky neighbor, a girl who doesn't need a fairy godmother because she makes things happen herself. Cinder Edna takes the bus to get to the ball and prefers sensible shoes to glass slippers. I love writing humor because nothing makes me happier than hearing a child laugh.

The idea for EARTH MOTHER came from a few dreamlike images that wouldn't go away. I wrote these down on paper and tried to make a story of them, but there really wasn't much of a plot. I put the manuscript aside and let it sit for about a year. Then, one day, I reread a few paragraphs I'd written years ago about a man, a frog, and a mosquito. Suddenly I realized I could put the two fragments together and create a single story. My editor liked EARTH MOTHER so much that he recruited two of the best illustrators in the country, Leo and Diane Dillon, to do the artwork. The Dillons have won the Caldecott medal-not once, but twice! They did a fantastic job on EARTH MOTHER.

6. What is the very best writing advice you have ever received?

When I'm feeling overwhelmed and unable to get going, I like this from Cynthia Leitich Smith: "Forget hard. Everything's hard. If you want an easy job, sign up with a temp service and answer phones." And this, from Betsy Lerner: "If you are meant to write, if you are ready to write, if what you must do is write, then all you really need is a paper and pencil."

Tolstoy wrote five drafts of WAR AND PEACE and he not only didn't have a computer, he didn't even have a typewriter. In fact, he didn't have a ballpoint pen. Sometimes you need to just gather your courage and face that blank piece of paper.

7. What is the hardest lesson you had to learn as a writer?

The hardest lesson I had to learn was not to put too much emphasis on rejection. All writers get rejected. I have a story posted on my website (www.ellenjackson.net) that tells how I first learned this lesson:

In 1980, I took a class on writing for children. In this class, the students turned in a manuscript every week. One week I wrote a

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